Newport All-Stars feel the heat in 4-2 setback

Barry Faulkner

Rader guns are foreign to Little League baseball diamonds, but the

Newport Beach American Little League Majors Division All-Stars did

not need digital confirmation to realize they were, once again,

dealing with heat from the opposing pitcher Friday night.

Newport, which fell, 9-2, to Lake Forest Blue and star pitcher

David Kennedy Monday, were 4-2 victims to Rancho Niguel in an

elimination game of the District 55 All-Star tournament at Mission

Viejo Youth Athletic Park.

“We drew nothing but fireballers,” said Newport Beach Manager

Michael Borchard, after watching Rancho Niguel’s Mark Klausing earn a

complete-game win that included six strikeouts.

“Their coach said he threw 67 mph, which is still slower than

Kennedy’s 75 mph,” Borchard said. “I think Kennedy is the top pitcher

in Orange County. But we had our chances tonight.”

Newport, in fact, belted seven hits, while several of its outs

were recorded on hard-hit grounders or ringing line drives.

Newport cut a 2-0 lead in half when shortstop John Doering, who

shone in the field and with the bat, beat out his second infield

single with two outs and was tripled in by second baseman Sean

Tokuyama.

Rancho Niguel, scored twice in the home half of the fifth to

regain a seemingly comfortable cushion, but Newport scored again in

the sixth and brought the potential tying run to the plate.

Michael Borchard Jr., who matched Klausing’s complete game and

also had six strikeouts and seven hits allowed, despite pitching one

fewer inning, began Newport’s final rally with a leadoff walk. He

went to second on Ben Ford’s groundout, then scored on Cameron

Koziara’s double to right-center field.

The next two hitters struck out, however, eliminating Newport

Beach.

Doering and Tokuyama were both 2 for 3, while the younger Borchard

was 1 for 2 with a run. Ford also had a hit and catcher Joey Booth

drilled a ball to center field that was hauled in for an out in the

fifth.

Doering, who pitched the opener for Newport, showed off his

superior arm strength with a handful of defensive gems.

Doering was the middle man in an 8-6-5 relay that nailed a runner

at third for the final out of the Rancho first. He was also in the

middle of an impressive 4-6-3 double play.

Newport also nailed a Rancho base runner on a 9-4-2-5 play in the

second.

Rancho Niguel, however, played errorless defense in a game that

had just one error.

Alex Figueroa’s two-run single in the fifth was the big blow for

Rancho Niguel, which advanced to tonight’s clash with Trabuco.